2019 is here!

So how did 2018 turn out?

Swim: 65,926 yards (37.45 miles)
Bike: 57.5 miles
Run: 471.3 miles, 2 marathons, 1 5k
Strength training: 6 times
Yoga: 6 times

Overall, 2018 was not a bad year. I got promoted at work, started grad school at UNC-W, finished 2 marathons in 2 new states, and had surgery to repair a umbilical hernia. The kids got good grades, they are both in middle school now, and happy wife, happy life.

But the disappointing parts. Arthritis forced me out of the RAM swim team in May, so I stopped adding to that swim total on 5/25. Arthritis also kept me off of the yoga mat, every time I tried it ended in tears after less than a minute. Joint pain sucks. My weight maxed out at 220.4 lbs, low point was 202 lbs. So I was over 200 lbs for the entire year, compared to the 177 lb average from 2015. I spent most of my Ironman training days around 170 lbs. So to be over 200 for the entire year is still shocking. It also meant what little running I was able to accomplish was slow and cumbersome, usually painful.

wrong on a whole lot of levels?

My goals for 2018:
1. Run 800 miles - fail
This wasn't really because of an injury. The arthritis sucks, but I also had surgery, and tons of stress related problems. I took care of the marathons in the spring so I didn't have anything to train for during the fall. Plus grad school takes up a TON of time. So I just didn't get in as many miles as I wanted. 471 is just over halfway there.

2. Delaware - Success!
Ran the marathon at Trap Pond, fun race, fun trip with my sweetheart.

3. Colorado - Success!
This was an amazing trip, beautiful race, and I can't imagine a better way to knock CO from the state list. And now I can't wait to go back.

4. Get under 200 lbs - fail
yeah. above. I came close, 202. After the surgery I really tried the weight loss phase setup that I used to do before starting ironman training. But I couldn't put in the time for workouts, and after a few weeks the stress really got to me so I started gaining again.

So I was 2-2, and that's not good enough. 2018 was still on the positive side of the arch, but I can do better than that.

Halfway there!

2019 Goals
Since 2018 was racked with stress and change, without actually changing much. I need to channel that into some actual change in my approach to the year.

1. Grad school - pass my classes
Setting this as the first goal because I'm not going to graduate until 2020 and it is the most important non-work activity going on right now.

2. Oregon - I'm registered for the Boring Marathon outside of Portland

3. Tennessee - I've been holding out on marathoning in TN just in case I wanted to do another Ironman (Chattanooga). That's never going to happen, so I've registered for a 12 hour race outside of Knoxville the weekend after I get back from Oregon. I like the 12 hour option to *either* get really slow laps to finish marathon distance or get in my first ultra in a few years if I'm feeling good.

4. Run 800 miles on the year

5. Finish the front porch
I'm in the middle of a project to rebuild the front porch. Finish it safely. After that, I will be able to get in more mileage and should be able to hit 800 or 1000 (super secret goal) for the year. Here's the current progress on the project:

The front porch

That's most of the brickwork on the left side. Still have a couple of stairs to go, 2 more courses on the left wall, then the entire right half of the front, a 3rd column, and the right side of the brickwork. Then stand up a rim and build a gable roof over the whole dang thing. Should be done in the spring, just in time to landscape the front yard.

I'm putting every spare minute into the porch, especially until grad school starts back up on MLK day.

6 De-stress some
Running injuries got me back into some major woodworking projects in 2017, now obviously I'm still really deep into projects and loving it. Work stress rose pretty good last year, especially the 2nd half of the year. Combine that with starting the MBA program (which is never stressful, right?) and that means I'm not setting a weight goal for this year. Just try to manage the stress. Running really helps. Hitting milestones on the porch project really helps. Hitting milestones on the work project really helps. I'm waiting for my next work project to kick in as well, likely that will spin up over the summer and lead into work over the fall.

Stress and workload both have a dramatic effect on bodyweight. I can eat better and move more, sure, but keeping stress at bay is really going to be the key to maintaining some decent weight.

Cheers to a happy and light 2019!

About Transformations

This past Sunday was Scout Recognition Day at our church. Our church sponsors a boy scout troop that has a particularly high turnout rate of Eagle Scouts. Also, I've been meditating for a while around the concept of transformation, more specifically this quote:

During the regular church service the scoutmaster gets up to talk about the troop and the ideals of the boy scouts, and how they align with the goals of the church. Then all of the current and former scout leaders, as well as any Eagle Scouts in the congregation, stand for recognition. Something really clicked for me then, and I want to explain it here.

I distinctly remember waking up on my 17th birthday (almost 25 years ago), rolling over in bed and staring down my boy scout handbook. My first thought was "I have one year left to finish this and if I don't do it now it will never happen". I knew what I had to do.

Telling people that you are an Eagle Scout sets - well "expectation" is the wrong word. There is a reputation that precedes you at that point, but that's a good thing. Eagle scouts know the value of honesty, are trustworthy, and have a natural leadership ability. The keyword is that you "achieve the rank of Eagle Scout" because it's not something that you can just step into or pay for. It takes more work than most people realize.

Everyone knows there are a large list of merit badges that you have to complete. Those are checklists, things where everyone has to put together the same accomplishments like riflery (shooting a .22 5 times inside of the diameter of a quarter on a gun range). Some people know there has to be an Eagle Scout Project where you have to build and lead a team through ideas, funding, materials, and project completion. My project involved remodeling part of a house for an elderly couple taking care of an adult son with disabilities. Very few people know that you then have to defend your accomplishments to a council of scoutmasters. I had my council meeting about 10 days before my 18th birthday.

12 year old me who joined the scouts just wanted to go camping with my childhood best friend. I learned the value of honesty, and standing up for what's right. I became a trustworthy person and then led my peers and kept the younger scouts in line just like the older scouts kept me in line. At the time I didn't realize how distinct that transformation was, but from age 12 to 18 I did transform myself to achieve the rank. It certainly still has a lasting affect on me to this day.

Lots of people add "finish an Ironman" to their bucket list. I wasn't necessarily one of them. I was a pack a day smoker for 15 years. I was an obese, heavy drinker. When I finished my first sprint triathlon I had two thoughts: First, I knew I had beaten my tobacco addiction. It's been 9 years, still happy about that. Second, I thought those people who did Ironmans were idiots - certifiably insane.

The Ironman brand's mantra is "anything is possible", and you learn what that means during Ironman training. As humans, we don't have limits. Our mind sets up what we can and cannot do. If you can change your mind, you can alter your entire reality.

To get ready for Ironman training I lost the rest of the weight. I established a solid aerobic base during the weight loss phase by running 5 miles on the treadmill 5 days a week for several months straight. Then I increased my endurance steadily over time, joined a US Masters swim team, and started increasing my time on the bike. The training plan for a full iron takes about 9 months working out twice a day, 6 days a week. Ideally, you want to ride 5 times, run 5 times, swim 2 or 3 times, and still work in some yoga/stretching and strength training every week too.

Your body turns iron long before race day. On 11/5/2011 I finished Ironman Florida in 13:06:24 and became an Ironman. The day of the race was a magical celebration, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, riding through a breezy flat course, then running my way to hear an announcer say "John Flynn You Are An Ironman" - and all of those hours of sweat paid off in exponential ways that were better than I had imagined.

I had transformed myself from smoker to triathlete, then from triathlete to Ironman. The registration anxiety was crazy the day I signed up. I wasn't that guy who actually thought I could finish the race I had just dropped $700 on. I had to change myself into someone who could do that. I learned discipline, confidence, and where my limits were (hint: I don't have any)

Since the Scout Recognition Day happened in Church, it got me thinking about the transformation that happens when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It gives me a sense of peace. The unending love that God has for us is the same love that we should show for our fellow man.

Muslims pray 5 times a day which seems absurd to so many Americans. But if we ask a blessing before each meal, start the day with some prayer and meditation time, and finish each day by thanking God for what happened that day, we're there as well. And if you establish a new pattern of prayer, do you think God will transform something in your life if you keep praying often enough?

When you learn how to love yourself, you then learn how to love others. If I can grow so many different ways above, then I can help others grow in their own way. Being a Christian has determined how I lead my family, what I teach my kids, and how I build my social circles. Currently I sing in the sanctuary choir and truly love sharing my gift of song.

Conclusion
Your goals don't have to be my goals. It took me 6 years to transform myself into an Eagle Scout. It took 4 years to go from smoker to Ironman. I was baptized at age 12, and I bet eventually I'll become a decent church member. What has transformed you in the past? How do you want to transform in the future? Any good, big goals ahead?

Postlude: Goals don't have to be physical. Now at 41, I've been fighting foot pain long enough that I'm starting to abandon my race schedule and start swimming more. I just can't run yet and I miss it so much. Actually, I've noticed that every time I do what I love I complain about it. Get in the pool? no flip turns today, my back hurts. Running? foot pain. can't get enough miles to properly train for the upcoming marathons. Also I have no idea what I'm going to do about that. Goals might also instill setting priorities. I still want to finish a full marathon or longer in all 50 states so this years new states have to be the priority. But am I too old for this? Some days I feel too old for a lot of things. Age is another form of transformation, I guess.

The Dumpster Fire

For a 2016 year in review, it was really a fucking dumpster fire. My 2007 was really bad, this may be worse. Kelley doesn't think it was. I really am trying to stay positive going into 2017 but it's not easy. 2016 was filled with personal failures, depression, and deaths. and I'm not even talking about anything related to the election yet. But it does seem like personally (and nationally) someone took out all of the trash and set it on fire.

Highlights
Start with the positive! I've been thinking hard to find something good that happened in 2016. Two events really stand out. First, I had an absolutely amazing trip to San Diego last January. Traveling with my parents made that really special. Later this year my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease so he might not be able to make big trips like this much longer. I finished my first 50 miler out there and had a wonderful time on the trails of Escondido. We went whale watching.

That garmin fell out of my suitcase on the cargo bay during the flight home. I never got my data uploaded.

The other real highlight of the year was seeing Ella graduate from elementary school and start middle school. As difficult as it can be to admit that my kids are growing up, they keep getting older. But every year they get sweeter and more kind. And as they get older we can do more things together. They get more independent and make more friends all the time.

At her graduation

2016 Goals
Mantra: consistency
Well that didn't happen. Everything was up and down all over the place. This mantra was supposed to relate to my eating habits and weights. I guess my weight was consistent over the year. I was overweight the whole time. Started the year over 190 lbs for the first time since 2010. I did get into the 180's for a while in the spring, but 2017 is starting out at 197 lbs. I can't even.

Short Term Goals:

• Finish a 50 mile race - Success! I finished the 50 miler in San Diego, got 41 miles at the 12 hour race in Alabama, and got an official 50 mile finish at Umstead
• Finish a 100 mile race - Fail - only made it 75 miles at the Umstead 100

Long Term Goals:

• 2 more states - Success! I did knock California and Alabama from my 50 state marathon list by getting the San Diego 50 and Delano Park 12 hour (41 miles)
• 200 mile month - Fail! The best chance was during Umstead training, highest I ever got was 173 miles in January
• unwritten sub-goal: get an 80 mile week - Fail! Proper 100 mile event training means you have to get in some 80 mile weeks and 200 mile months. I did get a 74 (or 76?) mile week during Umstead training, but never hit 80. ugh
• Try Something Else - Fail! The purpose of this goal was to get something else going for me after Umstead training. I set that goal to get my bench press up to 225 lbs. The highest I ever got was 205. Eating for heavy weight training also raised my body weight pretty high. I abandoned this goal when it was time to start training for the fall marathons. I was just happy to be able to run again.
• secondary sub-goal: starting in the fall, finish 12 marathons in 8 months - Fail! Part of this was scheduling and cost. Kelley didn't want me to marathon in November and December to save family time and do holiday stuff. I finished 3 of those in the fall (well, a 50k and 2 marathons) and am registered for 5 more in the spring.
• That has turned into a 12 marathons in 12 months goal - Fail! I am registered for 2 more races inside of that 12 month time frame, as well as a 100k after the October 1st time to complete which means there won't be anything else going on with running marathons next year. Capped out at 10 marathons in 13 months.
• Take photographic evidence of me driving the convertible with the top down every month - Success! Really this was a guess that in North Carolina the climate is so mild that I could ride topless at least once. Getting the pictures for this goal made me really appreciate how nice the weather is here. We get all 4 seasons, sure, but it's not really that bad. The summer was actually the hardest time to get the pictures, a black leather interior is horrible when you're in shorts and a tank and it's 116* outside.

1/10/2016

2/1/2016 and a haircut

2/28/16 with Evil Genius

3/1/16

4/24/2016 with Ella. Shaved the beard after Umstead

5/4/2016 after church

6/18/2016 after a swim race

7/4/2016

8/17/2016 - Only time it was cool enough was at night

8/18/2016 got cool enough for Ella to ride with me downtown

9/28/2016

10/10/2016

11/5/2016 with Evil Genius

12/27/2016 after returning from SC for Christmas on a 72* day

 Overall that was a really fun challenge. You'd think taking selfies in the car would just be another way to inflate my ego but it turned out to be really cool.

The Final Numbers
Swim: 199,150 yards, 113+ miles, 68 swims
Bike: 82 miles, 7 rides
Run: 1179.5 miles, 122 runs
Strength: 76 times
Yoga: 78 times
Weight: Average 187 lbs, Min 181.7 lbs, Max 195.9 lbs

People on facebook were pissed that I wouldn't get the last 850 yards in the pool on new years' eve to make that an even 200k. 2012 is the only other time this decade that I have not cleared 200k. In 2015 I did a marathon swim race and got in 375k in the pool total. I really want to put in more work in the pool this year.

Biking is about right. I really was burned out. 1 sprint triathlon in June took 14 of those miles, and that will likely be my last triathlon ever. It's just not safe on the roads.

There is an unwritten goal every year that I want to run 1200 miles. Failing at that during a year where I went marathon or longer 6 times is particularly bitter. Especially when it ends with a 41 mile November (inc a marathon) and a 36 mile December. The truth is I finished the last marathon with some foot/heel pain that is spawning some knee pain. I think it's coming from some tight hips. So I couldn't run much at all for those last 2 months and I'm kind of bitter about it. still.

The numbers for yoga and strength training are about half of what they used to be. A far cry from the 300 days of yoga challenge that I did a few years ago. That is contributing directly to the foot/knee pain. must fix that this year.

The strangest part of last years goal post was how I wrapped it up:

oh my! It did suck! It sucked so bad. Such a no-good, terrible, very bad year. Why?

What happened in 2016?
How did everything go so wrong? I mean, I'm sure it could have been worse. but wow, that was bad. It started in the spring. Great trip to San Diego, then a good trip to Alabama in February with Kelley. I needed the time alone with her, but she's getting irritated when I'm running 41 miles in a race for 9 hours while she is left to fend for herself. I wanted to run at least 50, and then didn't get to shower for at least 4 hours after the race while we searched for a hotel. Not bad, could have been better.

Easter weekend we thought we would tackle a small home improvement project, the toilet had popped up a few tiles in the bathroom floor. We thought we would retile the floor, maybe have to replace half a sheet of subfloor and it's all good. Turns out the entire thing was rotten and it would take a contractor 6 weeks and over $17,000 to repair. This is also the same time we had to pay our taxes (no refund for us this year). So while we were quite happy to have a nice little nest egg saved up at the end of 2015, really more than we've ever had before in our entire lives, it was all completely wiped out in one slow remodel that never seemed to end. We had to get help from family members to pay for the whole thing. How embarrassing is it to be 40 years old and still not be able to maintain my own house & personal finances. Fuck that was tough.

My seasonal affective disorder (SAD disease) was raging this summer. The heat was oppressive, I could barely walk outside. This leads to lower vitamin D levels which leads to depression. At the same time I'm buried in a terrible contract with the state government, trying to get out of it and into an office closer to home. And the presidential election was heating up. Hearing the way the issues were discussed, and the way the system treated Bernie. Trump's ego.....

Let me tell you what I found out about Canada. I did actually apply for a couple of jobs in Montreal before I found the work visa regulations. Didn't get a response on those. Ottowa and Montreal both have similar demographics (size, population, work availability) to Raleigh. For the four of us to move there would take about $22,000 US and take about 3 years. There is a booklet available online called Life in Canada that gives you everything you need to know to pass the citizenship test. I read that booklet, it was fascinating. All of the immigration reform and "drain the swamp" reform that Trump wants? They already have that. All of the democratic socialization policy that Bernie wanted? They already have that. And they do it without all of the corruption that we have (smaller military, limited foreign influence, etc) and all of the tax reform that we need. Canada's highest tax bracket is only 33%, ours is 39.5% (but I don't think they have our system of deductions which [have a higher impact on the extremely rich and] wouldn't affect normal middle class people like me). So between the heat, depression, and the election I legitimately wanted to move to Canada this year. I still think it is the "after" picture that we should end up with in about 20 more years. My cynicism is so strong that I mentally went from "we need to fix this, and can with this election" to "we cannot fix this and should leave asap". Kelley doesn't think she could handle the cold, and nobody wants us to be that far away from our extended family members, but shit. it's not going to get fixed here. Canada is a better option.

Eventually I did land a dreamy job close to home and with a really cool company. It's a very complex system and I'm barely smart enough to hang with these people. I started in June on a contract-to-hire basis. Contracting sucks. While on this contract portion and the government contracts I was on for almost a year before, I had to pay $1000 per month (average) for health insurance. On top of that $17k bathroom remodel? Contracting is unstable by nature, so as much as I liked the company I was desperate to get to the "hire" part. It finally kicked in October 24th, just in time for thanksgiving. The FTE company insurance is so much better than that Obamacare garbage that was so expensive and didn't actually cover anything. Now I have the kind of income, security, commute, environment, technology, and benefits that I have been looking for since the summer of 2015. Finally something good

happens right before the election. Then the downward spiral of depression starts all over again. November 6 was the City of Oaks marathon, I was very happy with that race and looking forward to resting my foot so it could heal. I still have not seen an orthopedist like I should.  We ended up with 2 terrible candidates that nobody liked because the system is corrupt. One of them won thanks to more corruption (and terrible advice for Hillary not to go campaign in Michigan or Wisconsin) from the Russians. So fuck it. deal with whatever fallout happens from the Drumpf.

At least there's Thanksgiving and Christmas. they were both fantastic. Except my brother-in-law and Kelley's cousin both died unexpectedly from heart problems.

So there you have it. I made 3 goals and failed at 6 goals on the year. I wanted to move to Canada and couldn't make that happen. And then when the holidays hit there comes death. 2016 can kiss my ass.

What now?
I'm not setting a mantra or any goals for 2017. My only hope is that it will suck less than 2016 did. It's a low bar.

The Aftermath

Well now that it's been a couple of weeks since the Umstead 100 things have started to almost get back to normal. There was some normal expected stuff in the recovery time, like blisters and walking with a limp. What I did not expect was a sinus infection. Apparently, the entire body responds to 75 miles of trauma with inflammation and it really blew up behind my nose. A sinus infection was already present before the race (according to the doctor), and the inflammation response blew it up into sinus pressure. The pressure then generalized into a migraine. This got worse every day. Finally on Friday after the race I went to the doctor thinking I needed an antibiotic or something. $300 later I got a shot in the ass that relieved the migraine for about 6 hours before it came raging back. I cannot express how badly our health care system sucks.

Week 2 was more of the same. I sang a solo in the church choir that Sunday, under severe medication. It went ok, but not my best stuff. The antibiotics did nothing. Blisters and muscles felt fine, and I really wanted to start working out again. But this migraine was absolutely debilitating. I haven't had a multi-day headache like this since 2005, and I did not miss it at all. Finally this Friday the 15th was the first day without medication so I thought I would be in the clear. The best combination of meds seemed to be 2 Aleve and 2 Excedrin Migraine at the same time for about 4 hours of relief.

Saturday I ran 10 miles, my basic route to the State Capital. The headache was easing up, it was a beautiful sunny day, and I really wanted to get some miles. I did end up pushing the speed some, and the heat meant that I was a bit under hydrated. But overall it felt amazing just to be out there again. If I go more than about 2 days without a workout of any kind it makes my personality a bit "testy" - not exactly pleasant for me or my family.

So of course tonight (Sunday) the headache is roaring again. I'll medicate up before heading into the office on Monday. This is not an aspect of recovery that I was expecting or was prepared for. In fact, I really wanted to hit the bike today, I'm ready to start triathlon training for this year. Swim practice starts again on Tuesday.

Really looking forward to biking more this year

The big news for this weekend is that my mother-in-law is finally living in Raleigh again! She closed on a condo about 4 miles from our house on friday morning, then we spent the whole weekend getting her moved in. She is very happy with her decision to get back to NC after spending over 25 years in South Carolina. The kids love having her in town. I am thoroughly relieved that she is here too, and will be very glad when she is settled down more and I don't have to lift heavy furniture.

Ladders in a covertible? That's how we roll.

Nana and the Evil Genius

In my goals post for 2016 I left something vague. After the Umstead 100 I wanted to come up with some other kind of challenge for the summer that was not triathlon based. Well it's time to formalize that goal and start working on it! I've decided to try a weightlifting challenge. I've always wanted to be able to bench press 225 lbs - that's two 45 lb plates on each side of the bar. The closest I've ever come is benching 205 during my crazy weightlifting phase in 2003. I think mustering up the testosterone to build my bench after age 40 makes this challenge extra hard and extra fun. I also think working the bench will end up strengthening my swimming as well.

Heavy weightlifting starts on Monday! migraine pending, unfortunately. I'm going to just roll with the punches here and see how it works.

2016 Goals

This may be the last 2016 goal post out there, but hey I'm behind on a lot of things right now.

2015 goal results:

Mantra: Eat clean and train mean in 2015 - partial success

Well I kind of did this. I ate pretty clean for most of the year. And I really did get in some mean training. Those annual totals don't lie. But there was a lot of chocolate this year. And my training for the Beer Mile race back in May quickly turned into a 1-3 beer a night drinking habit. And drinking habitually and consistently (with a Guinness as I'm typing this) will lead to weight gain. Turning 40 certainly didn't help the beer weight from sticking around.

Short term goals:

• Marathon Swim (10k or longer) - Success! I did the Swim Around Charleston and it was brutal and fun. I really loved getting in the pool 6 days a week during the summer. Regular swim practice was the best part, the race was really tough for the last 2 hours.
• Distance PR (run over 40 miles) - Fail. The closest I think I came was 38 miles in the pacer pool at the Umstead 100. I was supposed to do 50 that night, and DNF'd another 50 mile race. So I tried :(
• Single 70 mile running week: Success? I did get in a 70 mile running week, but it finished on Jan 3 of this year. It was still awesome.

2 out of 3 is not bad. Long term goals:

• 2 more states off of the 50 state list: Success! I got Minnesota and Maryland taken care of in 2015.
• Run 180 miles in one month: Fail. So close! I ran 170.2 miles in December. I actually forgot about this one until later in the year, then remembered it as 170 miles so I thought I had made this goal by getting 43 miles in the last 4 days of the year. dang.
• 6-10 marathon or longer races in 2015: Success!  I got 6 marathon or longer races done. There's a "The Long Stuff" list on the left side of the web blog, and it got 6 new entries in 2015. That does include the marathon swim though. I also DNF'd a 50k in February and deferred a marathon in December so there could have been 2 more.

again 2 out of 3 but I thought I had them all done. So close!

2016 Goals:

I've had a tough time coming up with goals for this year. I'm nowhere close to finding a mantra. So I'm going to try and keep this simple.

Mantra: Consistency

Ok that's a total cop out. Something happened on Jan 2. I stepped on the scale to get my starting weight for the year. It came in at 190.4 lbs and 23.6% bodyfat. This is the first time since Dec of 2010 that I have topped the scale over 190. When I finally broke under 190 and knew it was there to stay, I got the tree tattoo as a reward to remind me of my strength and resolve. Still have the tat, but the fat is back. And this time it's not going away very easily. This has been very depressing.

Consistency in this regard is about drinking less and losing weight. My Maximum Allowable Offseason Weight (MAOW) has been 189 lbs since Jan 2011 when I was prepping for my first ironman. Since then, every time I get over 185 in the offseason I can hit the panic button a bit, implement some kind of tracker and get the weight off. Most of the summer I was hanging around my normal training weight of 175 and 18% bf. Since the marathon swim I haven't been swimming as much and the weight has been steadily increasing. Now I'm in the middle of Umstead 100 training and have to eat a very specific volume.

This is completely unfamiliar territory for me. Over 40 the weight doesn't just fall off like it did 6 months ago. Less beer - I get it. But I have no idea how to fuel for 100 mile ultramarathon training and lose bodyfat. Suggestions welcome.

Short term goals:

• Finish a 50 mile race - Got the next attempt coming up Jan 17. 
• Finish a 100 mile race - Umstead 100 on April 2 may be my only shot at this one

Long term goals:

• 2 more states - California and Alabama are up for 2016
• 200 mile month (running)
• Take photographic evidence of me driving the convertible with the top down every month 
• Try something else

I really couldn't come up with any decent goals for this year. 2 more states and the 100 mile race is really the focal point, but that's all going to be done by April 2nd. I have to figure out what I want to do with the rest of the year. I'm signed up for a 70.3 (Lake Logan again) in August, and I'm sure there will be a few more fall marathons. Surely I can come up with something else short term to chase.

The car thing - I drove home from church this Sunday with the top down. I took a picture of it, because I didn't expect to be able to do that comfortably in January. So I'm taking a bet that here in the deep south in an El Nino winter I bet it's going to be warm enough one day every month for me to drive topless. it's more of a challenge than a goal.

Something else? After the 100 I predict I'm going to get burned out on running for a bit. I may try some kind of weightlifting challenge. Crossfit never has seemed too appealing to me, but maybe that will creep in. I need to open my mind up to fun activities that us old people can enjoy. So after April 2nd we'll just see what kind of trouble I can get into.

So cheers to a bright and fun 2016! Let's hope it doesn't suck.

2015 Year in Review

2015 was a bit of a downward spiral for me. I try to focus on the good, and there was a lot of that, but make no mistake about it this was one of the years where everything started to unravel. Thank God I have my family standing behind me.

Annual totals:
Swim: 215 miles, 111 swims
Bike: 292 miles, 22 rides
Run: 1057.8 miles, 122 runs
Strength: 53 times
Yoga: 138 times
Average weight: 177.6 lbs, 19.5% bodyfat
Min Weight: 171.6 lbs, 16.7%
Max Weight: 189.9 lbs, 23.7%

Running was only good through the spring and fall, and I swam a TON over the summer (sometimes 6 days a week). My scale was also broken over most of the summer so I didn't get to record my weight when it was typically at my lowest point of the year. And obviously I didn't feel like riding the bike at all.

To give a valid comparison, 2014 (with a full iron at Rev3 Cedar Point) had 131 miles of swimming, 2170 on the bike and 1227 running while 2013 (beach 2 battleship full) had 119 miles swimming, 3869 on the bike, and only 847 miles of running.  So I swam almost 100 miles more this year than ever before. That's totally the fantastic kind of nuts.

The Good

I did still finish 12 (ok maybe only 11) races, took 3rd place overall in a 5k in January, and finished 6 marathon or longer distances. One of those was only getting 28 miles in a 50 mile race (DNF), and I also DNF'd a 50k in Maryland after only 8 miles. I finished my first swim marathon, and finally got to race a Beer Mile.

The kids actually rocked school this year. Going across the grades was really smooth, they are still getting good grades, they keep on growing.

The Bad

2015 had a lot of bad. It started with a new VP of Software coming into the company I was working for. He got rid of the manager I really liked, then all of the other senior developers left. I got promoted into a team lead, which was ultimately good, but having to deal with this guy directly on a daily basis was more than I could stand. I really enjoyed that job before it was ruined by personnel. This led to a series of other bad decisions where I may have pissed off some recruiters that could prove to be detrimental to future jobs as well. I went to work for the state of NC for about 5 weeks. Every stereotype you have heard about state jobs is true. I couldn't take it at all and got out of there as fast as possible. I landed in a contract that I keep on showing up too, even though the commute stinks. So work went from good to bad to worse. Makes me wonder what I'm going to screw up in 2016.

In February I had my first DNF, bailing on a trail 50k in southern maryland. It was the right call, but it's the first time I've allowed myself to quit something like that. Then I did it again in Charlotte at a 50 mile trail race after finishing only 28 miles. Both courses were on single track trail so I'm just going to be done with single track races and try not to beat myself up about it. But I'm still beating myself up about it. Will I take the same mindset into the 50 mile, 12 hour, and 100 mile races I have coming up this spring?

No more single track!

My first and probably only swimming marathon ended with my right eye swollen shut and no contact lens in there. I love swimming, and I'm really good at being competitive in the water. I loved training for this race. The speed I gained in the pool did not translate into speed or endurance in the open water. I think in 2016 I'm going to try the shorter swim races and shoot for speed in an open water mile.

In the spring I had a pretty serious pain in my left hip flexor. I had to take off several months from running. I was able then to throw myself into swimming as a nice distraction, but it took longer than I expected to be able to run without pain again. I believe it was a problem with my running mechanics. I also believe that I have not fixed that problem. Secondarily, my right knee hurts pretty bad after compensating for the left hip pain. That also has not really gone away. Now I'm in the middle of heavy running training for the Umstead 100 and the hip pain returned. I'm going to see someone about it this time to fix my running form. I've been doing more yoga, core strength work, and being mindful of my form right now, and that really does help.

In the summer, I turned 40. This sucked, and it has sucked every day since. My thumbs are killing me. On the first day of 40, I woke up wondering what kind of weird bedrooms stuff Kelley and I did for my birthday that left my thumbs in so much pain. But when the pain didn't go away I knew it would just have to be something I live with. And I have, and I still don't like it. Over 40, the hard workouts need more recovery time. The weight just continues to pile on, and doesn't go away. Used to, I could just imagine losing weight and it would happen, at least to a plateau. It gives me a whole new appreciation for people like Dara Tores making the olympics at 40. Unbelievable. I can barely stand up anymore.

The Ugly

This is most likely just in my mind. I know that to run a 100 mile trail race you have to go slow and log lots of miles in training. But I'm having a difficult time accepting that I can't roll out 8 minute miles anymore. I can't lose weight. I can't seem to make a professional decision that won't have horrible long term ramifications for my family. It makes me feel slow, fat, and dumb.

Yet I'm still grateful to everyone who has stood beside me through all of the mess this year. Good times and bad times both come and go. 2016 could be better than this, or it could be worse. The only thing I can do is be mindful of right now. Make the best choice for me, right now. Get this workout done. Don't lose the confidence that took so long to build up.

Finally, here's some other pictures from 2015 that didn't make it into any other post. These are not a part of "the ugly", just the most positive way I can finish talking about this year.

DC Marathon - took 2 attempts to get MD checked off of my 50 state list

Waiting to start the Lower Potomac River Run Marathon

at a Stop Hunger Now event with Evil Genius and her Indian Princess tribe

Selfies at the Waffle House with santa

running on Christmas Eve in a singlet and shorts.

Well, that happened

Well my 2016 goal is set! Today was the registration for the Umstead 100 and I got in! After volunteering there on 3 different years, and getting 38 miles in the pacer pool last year, I knew I wanted to get registered for the full monty. This will be my first 100 mile trail ultramarathon.

holy shit. how am I actually going to run 100 miles by myself in under 30 hours?

Umstead 100 headquarters from the 2015 race

I guess I still have 29 weeks to hydrate and train. There is a basic outline of a training plan on the race web site. Blake Norwood, the race founder, wrote a "how to train for your first 100" piece that has become the bible for first timers. Plenty of time for long runs on back to back days. Plenty of time to grow out the trail beard. Plenty of time for night runs.

Right?

In preparation for this amount of stupidity I have lined up an entire fall of stupidity. To the tune of 3 full road marathons and 2 50 mile trail races. Of course these end in January, nothing yet lined up for February or March. I have to respect the distance. It's going to take some 70 mile weeks. It's going to take some 180 or even 200 mile months. My nutrition and body composition is going to have to stay on point through the winter, no getting fat this offseason like I normally do. And I'm going to have to do all of this while keeping the injuries at bay. I tell you, since I turned 40 a couple of months ago everything hurts all the time. it's kind of insane.

So I knew this day was going to come. I'm glad I was able to register, have the cash and the patience to get in. Let the insanity commence!

This year I get my own bib!

2015 Goals

I had a tough time writing this goals post, mostly because I've had a tough time coming up with any good goals for this year. For the past several years the goals haven't changed: Ironman. Everything else was sort of built up around getting an 11 hour Ironman finish. That's off of the radar now. Goals are hard to come by.

Mantra: 2015 - Eat Clean & Train Mean

This year needs to be a foundational year for health and fitness. A solid base of clean eating will lead to workouts that are more effective. Make it happen.

Short term goals:

• Marathon swim - race or practice something 10k or longer of solid swimming. Currently the longest I've gone is 5 miles in the water and that was in the Cooper River with the current.
• Distance PR - Currently the farthest I've been able to run was the Pine Mountain 40 in 2012 - 40 miles. Let's exceed that.
• Single 70 mile running week

Long Term Goals:

• Knock 2 more states off of the 50 state list, at least 1 drive to state and one fly-to state
• Run 180 miles in one month
• 6 to 10 marathon or longer races on the year

Running and swimming is clearly going to be the focus on the year, not multisport or speed. I'm not setting a total distance target, whatever I can get is what I get. The basic plan is to do 3 or 4 marathon or longer races in the spring, then some open water swim racing over the summer, and more marathons in the fall. The actual race schedule will appear as I can actually get registered for some of these, but so far I've got two 50k's in Jan & Feb (and the second one will knock Maryland off of the 50 state list), and the Umstead 100 volunteering again March 28.

The target for Umstead is to get 50 miles in the pacer pool. If I can do that, then I'll try to register for the 2016 Umstead 100 as a runner and finally knock the hundo off of the bucket list! I've also got my eye on four different 50 mile races in November, but I am only going to register for 1 of them. In order to train for a 100 mile ultramarathon, you have to respect the distance and that means knocking out "some" 180 mile months. If I get into Umstead 100 that will turn into more than 1, but just to see how my body holds up I'm only setting the goal for 1 month at 180 miles. 

On the waterfront, I've got my eyes on the 12 mile Swim Around Charleston, but there is still a pretty strong set of logistics to work out around that one. There's a few other possibilities as well, but I'm going to find a nice long open water race to get into. There are a few other members on the RAM team that want to get in on the action as well.

On the family front, 2015 holds a lot of promise as well. We're all going to Disney World for a week. Evil Genius has her 2nd year spring outing coming up, and Ella's in for a big year too. I think she's up for a swim team and voice lessons.

I'm very excited that 2015 is finally  here! What are you working on this year?

2014 Goal Review

This is always one of my favorite posts to write. Looking back at all of the accomplishments of a year gone by with all of the promises of advancing into a new year with new goals to chase down. First, let's close out December:

Swim: 18,150y, 6 swims
Bike: goose egg
Run: 126.18 miles, 15 runs
Stretch: 5 times
Yoga: 18 times

Kinda hoping to top 20k in the pool, but the 126 miles of running is pretty nice. Really nice actually. With all of the holiday hoopla those numbers are pretty solid.

And the fun totals for all of 2014:

Swim: 231,500 yards, 131.53 miles, 5 races
Bike: 2170 miles, 4 races
Run: 1227.33 miles, 8 races
Strength: 73 times
Yoga: 184 times

Compared to 2013:
Swim: 210,220 meters, 119.44 miles
Bike: 3,869.25 miles
Run: 847.8 miles
Strength: 81 times
Yoga: 90 times

So 2013 had tons and tons of time on the bike and 2014 had a lot more fun. This was my highest running year ever! By a long shot. Plenty of swimming and plenty of running and a nice even balanced time on the yoga mat.

I finished 11 races in 2014, including setting a marathon PR and knocking down my first two 50k's. 5 marathon or longer races, 3 triathlons including my last Ironman, and 2 open water swim races including my first 5 miler made for a solid race schedule. I also took the overall podium for the first time, finishing 3rd male in a 5k in SC. That's a helluva year by any standards.

2014 Goals:

Mantra: Long and lean in 2014. Success!
I'd say with all of those long races and an average weight of 180.88 lbs this is a winner. My scale was actually stuck with a dead battery for most of the Ironman training plan and that's when I was at my leanest. We'll just call this one a win.

Short term goals:
4 hour revenge: Finish Myrtle Beach Marathon under 4 hours - Success!
Finished in 3:46 for a nice shiny PR
11 hour Ironman: Finish Rev3 Cedar Point in 11:xx - Fail!
Finished in 13:52 with personal worst times in all 3 sports
Maniac Streak: Get another Marathon Maniac star - Success!
Did the Myrtle Beach Marathon and Umstead Trail Marathon only 14 days apart - 1 star
Pick an alternative race - Fail!
Nothing but regular swim/bike/run stuff for me. No obstacle courses or warrior dash for me last year.
A Single 5k swim - Success!
The 5 mile race at the Lowcountry Splash in Charleston took care of this one.
A single 50 mile run week - Success!
I ended up with several 50 mile + weeks, topping out at 56 miles in Ironman training

Long term goals:

Financial: Pay off the rest of our debts and sell this last rental property - Success!
We finished paying off $152k in debts when we sold the last rental property in March 2014. Dave Ramsey's methods worked for us and it has totally changed our lifestyle. Amazing stuff.
Travel: Visit friends in Ohio and make a social trip to Atlanta - Partial Success!
We did get to visit some special people in Ohio but I did not make it down to the dirrrty Atl for a social visit. Maybe next year.
Run 1200 miles: Success!
Averaging 100 miles per month is a seriously huge target. So glad I was actually able to get there!
Run 4 marathons, 6 would be better, knock 2 more states off of the 50 state list: Success!
I ran 5 marathon or longer races, and knocked Ohio and Virginia off of the 50 state list.
Volunteer at more races: Success!
I was a timer at local swim meets and volunteered at the Umstead 100 aide station 2 and in the pacer pool.

Overall, 2014 was an amazing year. The kids kept growing, the family is stronger than ever, and I felt accomplished athletically. The low point of the year was losing Gene before thanksgiving - that was really tough. High points were the MB marathon and being able to spend so much time with so many good friends and fun family members.

I hope your 2014 was amazing too!

MB PR

This weekend was a blast! I got to hang out with a lot of old friends and totally blew away my own expectations for the race. I absolutely nailed a 3:46:32, and never walked for the first time ever. It was a special valentines day away without the kids, just special time with me and Kelley.

Friday afternoon we started later than expected, but still got the kids dropped off and headed down to Myrtle Beach. We made it to the expo in plenty of time.  After grabbing the gear and swag, I found the beer tent.

IPA for the win!

 The part about this weekend that I was really looking forward to was seeing so many friends. At the expo, we ran into my friend Laurie, who I haven't seen since high school! She actually graduated with my brother Michael, and was a church friend who now lives in Fayetteville with her family, and they were all at the expo too. Really cool to see her again.

After we actually got dinner from the bar upstairs from the expo. It was a really nice environment, great food, and it wasn't crowded. Pretty decently romantic spot for Valentines day! Plus Kelley got to sit in a tremendous oversized chair.

Totally interested.

We always stay at the La Quinta near the starting line, but now they have added a back road that leads to a Target. And you know that means we loaded up on cheap valentines day candy.

Saturday morning came early. 5:15 my alarm went off and I got downstairs to get some breakfast. I discovered it was pouring down very hard rain and it was really cold. Not a good combination. The race started at 6:30 with the crankchairs starting first at 6:25. I knew we were cutting it close when we saw the crankchairs cruising by as we were walking to the start line!  haha, that's a bit too close. Still, I got my good luck kiss, she went to the half marathon side of the street, and I started looking for the 3:45 pace group. They had a 3:35 and 4 hour pace group, so I figured I would get somewhere in between them.

I wasn't going to run with anything that wasn't waterproof, so no music. Figured I could just talk to people. It was 41* and raining at the start. I got to wish a "good luck" to the people I just elbowed my way through, and then we were off! Lots of people were running in trash bags. I didn't want to have to discard anything later, so I just took off. Hit start on the garmin when I got to the starting line and the rest is history.

Mile 1 was in the dark, but the rain did stop.The halfers started on the left side of the divided road, and the full marathoners on the right. Before the first turn we had to cross over the divided median, and I saw a bunch of the halfers looking at me funny. So of course I had to raise both hands in the air attack-zombie style and said "it's the attack of the full marathoners", which I thought was pretty damn funny. crickets. I got nothing out of those people. But I did split an 8:09!

Mile 2 the sun came up. Since the rain was gone and the streets were still crowded, there was plenty of challenge to puddle dodge. Split an 8:07.

At 2.75 miles, something strange happened. I got passed - by a girl. While this would not otherwise be noteworthy, it was the first time I got passed on the day. And she looked at me funny, like she was surprised to pass me. It was odd. Mile 3 split 8:17.

I could see the 3:35 pacer in there, and figured I would hang out near that guy for as long as I could since I still felt great. When Kelley checked the weather forecast the night before, every hour the chance of rain would decrease while the listed wind speed would increase. And the winds were supposed to swirl, so there would always be a headwind. fun times. I did start drafting. Here there was still plenty of people in the race who were bigger than me, so I put them between the wind and my face. While it might not have smelt particularly great, it did make things easier. And I don't think it was too noticeable.  Mile 4 in 8:12, I took my first gel at the mile 4 aide station.

Mile 5 goes out by the airport, and there is usually a band playing there. This time as I ran by I got to thank them for coming out, then they started playing Folsom Prison Blues. 8:46 thanks to the extra time to take the gel.

There is a timing mat through this little shopping village at the turn around, then back towards the airport. Mile 6 was 8:12, then mile 7 was 8:31.  As I was running back towards Ocean Blvd, I could see all of the runners still going to the shopping village. Right before we split off, I found Kelley at my mile 7.5 and got to say hi to her and blow a kiss. Very motivating to know that she was getting through the miles with a smile. Mile 8 was 8:30, and I took another gel then.

Once you get on Ocean Blvd, you stay there until about mile 21. That one road has the majority of the course, but by then it's over an hour into the race so the sun is up, there's a tailwind pushing you forward (sometimes), and you get to see the boardwalk and the ocean.  It's beautiful, and monotonous, and you just let your mind wander and watch the miles run away. Mile 9 was 8:20, then mile 10 in 8:28. Right after the mile 11 marker you start seeing signs for the halfers to split off, which they do. Once the vast majority of the people peel off and head for the finish line, you get a slight depression and a peaceful calm at the same time.  Mile 11 was 8:17. I found another guy from Raleigh who thought I was crazy, but he had a wild beard and was pretty fun to talk to. He was doing a relay, and ran from mile 6 to 10. Great talking to you Tim, ended up being some fun miles.

At the mile 12 aide station I had to stop and poop. I took another gel first, then had to wait on the port-a-let for a little bit. If you've been counting, all of these miles so far have been in the 8 minute range. Mile 12 took 8:14, then mile 13 was 9:49, thanks to about a 90 second crapper stop. It felt good to lighten the load, but I was ready to get back out there.

I hit the 13.1 halfway point at 1:50:44, not a bad split. Again, I was just feeling good and taking each mile as it came to me without any real feeling of push or elevated heart  rate. Pretty crazy indeed.

The second half of the course goes up into North Myrtle Beach. The starting line is on 21st ave, and we finally turn off of Ocean Blvd somewhere around 68th st, if that gives you a frame of reference for how far into North MB we get. Now, start by understanding that there is nothing interesting about North Myrtle, nothing happens there, it's just a few small hotels and lots of beachfront houses. I don't remember much about these miles, but I'm not sure if that's because they are boring, or mindless, or just all looked exactly the same. They were all uphill, however. Which I thought was odd.

I had no expectations to negative split this course but you can certainly see my interest level wain in these miles.
Mile 14: 8:22,
mile 15: 8:38,
mile 16: 8:36 (took another gel),
mile 17: 8:19 (ok must have had a tailwind),
mile 18: 8:44,
mile 19: 8:29,
mile 20: 8:34 and another gel

And that was the most interesting part of North Myrtle. Consistent, plain, meets expectations.

Mile 21 went in 8:58, that's where the course turned and we started running uphill into a stiff headwind again. Heading back to the start/finish line there's a couple of out-and-back spurs to keep the competition in sight. I knew the aide stations at miles 16 and 22 had gels provided on the course, so I took those. Mile 22 took 8:50.

My personal best distance record was 21 miles without walking. So this time I really wanted to get that gel at the mile 22 aide station without having to take a walk break, and I did! So excited to finally break through that one. And I still felt like I didn't need to walk after that, so I figured I'd shoot for 23. Mile 23 took 9:23, but I didn't walk through it. Finally, the first mile over 9 minutes besides the poopy mile 12. This time it was fatigue that slowed me down. My quads were burning. My ass was on fire. Calves were totally starting to melt down. But I was not dehydrated, so I didn't hit the wall at mile 23 like I usually do.

Mile 24 was 8:47, and this might be the biggest surprise. Again, no walking, extending that PDR. To turn in a mile in the 8's that late in a marathon is insane. Never thought I would do that. Mile 25 took 9:19, that's more like what I was expecting. Actually, these really late miles for me are usually in the 10 to 13 minute range, so this whole thing was uncharted territory. And I still wasn't walking. Just trying to maintain good running form. I didn't have to go fast, just had to keep going. I think it was around mile 20 or 22 when I felt confident about my ability to break 4 hours.  But mile 26 was 9:09, and that's out of this world crazy.  I was finally back at Broadway cruising up towards 21st ave again. When I saw that finishing chute I knew it was real.

Not only was I going to break 4 hours (goal!) and set a PR that I didn't expect to get, I was going to smash that PR and might actually get under 3:50, which would also surpass most of my friend's marathon PR's.  And I never had to walk. That was totally unexpected and incredible. I never actually believed that I could run the entire length of a marathon without walking or falling apart in the end. insane.

I came through the finish line on fire and hit stop on the garmin. I got my medal, then looked at the garmin. When I read it, I screamed it. I read it again out (and very) loud - THREE FORTY SIX THIRTY FIVE YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH shouted as loud as I could, and the announcer guy even said how happy we apparently were to finally be finished running 26.2 miles. He was right.  I'm not a 3:46 marathoner. I'm maybe one of the typical middle/rear middle of the pack guys who's going to struggle and train hard and maybe break 4 hours once. My old PR was 3:56 in Charleston marathon 2012, and I never actually expected to break 4 hours again. I'm 38, way too old to get any faster. But I just did, and by around 10 minutes. that's absurd. No way I would have predicted that.

As soon as I finished screaming for pure joy, Kelley was right there. She ran the half in 2:33, after only getting in 2 training runs since early december thanks to a piriformis problem. She had enough time to go back to the hotel, get some warm clothes, and make it back down in time.

Right before the scream

and right after!

As soon as I started making my way out of the finishers chute, I got caught by my good friend from college Meredith. Haven't been able to hug that neck for maybe 18 years (she graduated before me) and this, right now, is the time when I run into her? I still haven't come down from the endorphins, still jacked up high and crying over my time and that's when I have to introduce Kelley and meet her friend too. Not exactly my most photogenic moment. Loved getting to see her, but that was crap timing. We need to catch up when I can put together two coherent thoughts.

Finally, I've calmed down enough to take in some fluids and food, and process what just happened.

wow.  just wow. that was totally unexpected.

So was this!

Kelley captioned this "we found an elephant at the finish line of the marathon", and I started making jokes about how I know I've put on a little weight but that's just cruel. ha! The fence here is just to keep the beer drinkers in, not the elephants out.  Interesting fact, did you know elephants eat Fruit Loops? The trainer guy would throw fruit loops and peppermint candy on the ground and the animal would pick them up with his trunk and eat it.

Afterward we got enough fluids and walked around a bit, it was time to head back to the hotel. The elephant followed us out, and we got a few more pics.

No fence or anything, we're just walking down the street when the beast comes up behind us

incredible

That's a swinging tale

Have you ever wanted to Stranger Rodeo an elephant? I was seriously tempted to grab hold of that tail and see how long I can hang on. Maybe if I hadn't just finished a marathon. At the time, the elephant was walking much faster than I was. Opportunity lost.

What made this marathon different?
I've been trying to figure out why I was able to hang on and suffer longer this time than ever before. Maintaining good form is key, yes. As is the mental capacity to keep pushing out miles when your legs are on fire and you want to stop. But I really  think it's got to be the plants!

My fitness overall is still elevated from the B2B full iron distance in October, yes. that takes a long time to calm down. But we did the Paradigm Diet challenge in December, and those habits stuck around. We still eat a mostly vegan diet, and it's become easy to know when my weight is up a few pounds or I just feel heavy from eating too much sodium or meat. And we now know how to make that stuff all go away within a couple of days. I finished the Challenge at 175 lbs, 18% bodyfat - that was in December - and I hit the starting line - in February - at 175 lbs, 18% bodyfat. This was done on purpose. I know when I'm not properly hydrated and need to make a smoothie for breakfast the next day. I know when we need to make some Colon Blow for dinner to push some of that weekend meat through the system.  Overall I feel better, have more energy, and look younger than I did before thanksgiving.

When this becomes a long term habit, the long term effect leads to increased endurance and greater overall fitness. The extent of this was totally unexpected. I mean just 4 months ago I did the Ironman marathon almost an hour slower! (4:37 run split) Nobody is going to claim they can take an hour off of their marathon time in 4 months. It's got to be the plants.

The Paradigm Diet - the basis of our fueling
Starting the Paradigm Detox Day 1
Finishing the Paradigm Detox with a 5k PR

What Else did we do?
After getting all cleaned up, we hit the Planet Hollywood for lunch, and it was quite overrated. Then we hit the outlet stores for some shopping. I got some Kenenth Cole dress shoes that are beautiful (yes I'm secure enough in my masculinity to admit that). Then we got to meet up with the Boys!

Dean, Pat, and Jon are fraternity brothers from college. Pat ran the half, as did all of their wives. I was looking for these people while I was on the course, and they were looking for me. We all get together in the spring for a guy's weekend of heavy drinking, there's about 10 of us that usually jump in. But today we all got to hang out for a couple of beers before dinner, then had a really nice meal together. We all left the kids at home, so this was really special and fun. Like I said, on this trip, getting to see old friends and spend time alone with Kelley was just as important as running the race.

Sunday morning we cleaned up, grabbed breakfast and hit the road back to Raleigh. The whole weekend was fun, social, and fast. The only thing I could have asked for was more of the same. Kelley got to see some people that I didn't. I love being plant-powered, glad I pulled out such a strong race. And I'm grateful for a quick recovery too.

Now let's turn it up and hit the trails! March 1st (yes 2 weeks away) is the Umstead Trail Marathon. Nothing like 26.2 in the woods, this is going to be fun. It's another 1 star Marathon Maniacs streak!